But history favors the Rockets. Toledo leads the overall series 29-9, and more ominously for NIU, Toledo has won 18 of the 20 games played between the two teams at the Glass Bowl, where Tuesday night's nationally televised game will take place.

"Not just NIU, but a lot of teams have struggled on the road playing at the Glass Bowl," Doeren said.

NIU (5-3, 3-1) figures to have a daunting task against the MAC West-leading Rockets (5-3, 4-0).

"You watch them on film against Ohio State, Boise State, and against Syracuse … in the nonconference schedule, they played extremely well," Doeren said. "You can go on and on and on about them. It's going to be a great game between two very good football teams."

NIU quarterback Chandler Harnish knows what is at stake.

"Every time you think of Toledo, you get bad feelings in your head," he said. "But then at the same time, you get some excitement going too."

The outcome might ride on the steadiness of the respective defenses and special teams. The Huskies' defense has improved after a shaky start this season.

"Once we started going on that winning streak, you saw it get put together," NIU linebacker Pat Schiller said. "Hopefully we can take that momentum into Toledo."

The Huskies are riding a three-game winning streak and Toledo has won four in a row.

Doeren, in his first year as head coach, would like to focus on the fact NIU clobbered Toledo 65-30 last season in DeKalb.

"When you play rivalry games, you can take all the stats and try to compare them any which way you can, but it's still going to come down to two teams playing their hearts out against each other," Doeren said. "There's a lot on the line so that part makes it a lot of fun for our kids, for both teams."

Northern Illinois has scored 40 of 44 times in the red zone this season. They are tied for 13th in the country in that category. Toledo boasts one of the most dynamic punt returners in the country in wide receiver Eric Page (12th in the nation).

"Both of the teams are in a position where they can be in the front seat going into the last three games for our side of the league," Doeren said. "I have a lot of respect for them — I don't feel hatred for them or anything like that. I know our fans do. You can feel that. I want to see us play well and not beat ourselves, and finish a game."